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de Vries ME, Carpinelli MR, Fuller JN, Sutton Y, Partridge DD, Auden A, Anderson PJ, Jane SM, Dworkin S. Grainyhead-like 2 interacts with noggin to regulate tissue fusion in mouse. Development 2024; 151:dev202420. [PMID: 38300806 PMCID: PMC10946436 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Defective tissue fusion during mammalian embryogenesis results in congenital anomalies, such as exencephaly, spina bifida and cleft lip and/or palate. The highly conserved transcription factor grainyhead-like 2 (Grhl2) is a crucial regulator of tissue fusion, with mouse models lacking GRHL2 function presenting with a fully penetrant open cranial neural tube, facial and abdominal clefting (abdominoschisis), and an open posterior neuropore. Here, we show that GRHL2 interacts with the soluble morphogen protein and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) inhibitor noggin (NOG) to impact tissue fusion during development. The maxillary prominence epithelium in embryos lacking Grhl2 shows substantial morphological abnormalities and significant upregulation of NOG expression, together with aberrantly distributed pSMAD5-positive cells within the neural crest cell-derived maxillary prominence mesenchyme, indicative of disrupted BMP signalling. Reducing this elevated NOG expression (by generating Grhl2-/-;Nog+/- embryos) results in delayed embryonic lethality, partial tissue fusion rescue, and restoration of tissue form within the craniofacial epithelia. These data suggest that aberrant epithelial maintenance, partially regulated by noggin-mediated regulation of BMP-SMAD pathways, may underpin tissue fusion defects in Grhl2-/- mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E. de Vries
- Department of Medicine, Monash University Central Clinical School, Prahran, Victoria 3004, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Marina R. Carpinelli
- Department of Medicine, Monash University Central Clinical School, Prahran, Victoria 3004, Australia
| | - Jarrad N. Fuller
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Yindi Sutton
- Department of Medicine, Monash University Central Clinical School, Prahran, Victoria 3004, Australia
| | - Darren D. Partridge
- Department of Medicine, Monash University Central Clinical School, Prahran, Victoria 3004, Australia
| | - Alana Auden
- Department of Medicine, Monash University Central Clinical School, Prahran, Victoria 3004, Australia
| | - Peter J. Anderson
- Australian Craniofacial Unit, Women and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, People's Republic of China
| | - Stephen M. Jane
- Department of Medicine, Monash University Central Clinical School, Prahran, Victoria 3004, Australia
| | - Sebastian Dworkin
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia
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Deng Z, Butt T, Arhatari BD, Darido C, Auden A, Swaroop D, Partridge DD, Haigh K, Nguyen T, Haigh JJ, Carpinelli MR, Jane SM. Dysregulation of Grainyhead-like 3 expression causes widespread developmental defects. Dev Dyn 2023; 252:647-667. [PMID: 36606449 PMCID: PMC10952483 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The gene encoding the transcription factor, Grainyhead-like 3 (Grhl3), plays critical roles in mammalian development and homeostasis. Grhl3-null embryos exhibit thoraco-lumbo-sacral spina bifida and soft-tissue syndactyly. Additional studies reveal that these embryos also exhibit an epidermal proliferation/differentiation imbalance. This manifests as skin barrier defects resulting in peri-natal lethality and defective wound repair. Despite these extensive analyses of Grhl3 loss-of-function models, the consequences of gain-of-function of this gene have been difficult to achieve. RESULTS In this study, we generated a novel mouse model that expresses Grhl3 from a transgene integrated in the Rosa26 locus on an endogenous Grhl3-null background. Expression of the transgene rescues both the neurulation and skin barrier defects of the knockout mice, allowing survival into adulthood. Despite this, the mice are not normal, exhibiting a range of phenotypes attributable to dysregulated Grhl3 expression. In mice homozygous for the transgene, we observe a severe Shaker-Waltzer phenotype associated with hearing impairment. Micro-CT scanning of the inner ear revealed profound structural alterations underlying these phenotypes. In addition, these mice exhibit other developmental anomalies including hair loss, digit defects, and epidermal dysmorphogenesis. CONCLUSION Taken together, these findings indicate that diverse developmental processes display low tolerance to dysregulation of Grhl3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Deng
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Tariq Butt
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Benedicta D. Arhatari
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Department of Chemistry and PhysicsLa Trobe UniversityBundooraVictoriaAustralia
- Australian Synchrotron, ANSTOClaytonVictoriaAustralia
| | - Charbel Darido
- Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Alana Auden
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Dijina Swaroop
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Darren D. Partridge
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Katharina Haigh
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rady Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
- Research Institute in Oncology and HematologyCancerCare ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | - Thao Nguyen
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Jody J. Haigh
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rady Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
- Research Institute in Oncology and HematologyCancerCare ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | - Marina R. Carpinelli
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Stephen M. Jane
- Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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Collier AE, Piekos SN, Liu A, Pattison JM, Felix F, Bailetti AA, Sedov E, Gaddam S, Zhen H, Oro AE. GRHL2 and AP2a coordinate early surface ectoderm lineage commitment during development. iScience 2023; 26:106125. [PMID: 36843855 PMCID: PMC9950457 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Ectodermal dysplasias including skin abnormalities and cleft lip/palate result from improper surface ectoderm (SE) patterning. However, the connection between SE gene regulatory networks and disease remains poorly understood. Here, we dissect human SE differentiation with multiomics and establish GRHL2 as a key mediator of early SE commitment, which acts by skewing cell fate away from the neural lineage. GRHL2 and master SE regulator AP2a balance early cell fate output, with GRHL2 facilitating AP2a binding to SE loci. In turn, AP2a restricts GRHL2 DNA binding away from de novo chromatin contacts. Integration of these regulatory sites with ectodermal dysplasia-associated genomic variants annotated within the Biomedical Data Commons identifies 55 loci previously implicated in craniofacial disorders. These include ABCA4/ARHGAP29 and NOG regulatory regions where disease-linked variants directly affect GRHL2/AP2a binding and gene transcription. These studies elucidate the logic underlying SE commitment and deepen our understanding of human oligogenic disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann E. Collier
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Samantha N. Piekos
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Angela Liu
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | | | - Franco Felix
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | | | - Egor Sedov
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Sadhana Gaddam
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Hanson Zhen
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Anthony E. Oro
- Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
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4
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Gasperoni JG, Fuller JN, Darido C, Wilanowski T, Dworkin S. Grainyhead-like (Grhl) Target Genes in Development and Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052735. [PMID: 35269877 PMCID: PMC8911041 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Grainyhead-like (GRHL) factors are essential, highly conserved transcription factors (TFs) that regulate processes common to both natural cellular behaviours during embryogenesis, and de-regulation of growth and survival pathways in cancer. Serving to drive the transcription, and therefore activation of multiple co-ordinating pathways, the three GRHL family members (GRHL1-3) are a critical conduit for modulating the molecular landscape that guides cellular decision-making processes during proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migration. Animal models and in vitro approaches harbouring GRHL loss or gain-of-function are key research tools to understanding gene function, which gives confidence that resultant phenotypes and cellular behaviours may be translatable to humans. Critically, identifying and characterising the target genes to which these factors bind is also essential, as they allow us to discover and understand novel genetic pathways that could ultimately be used as targets for disease diagnosis, drug discovery and therapeutic strategies. GRHL1-3 and their transcriptional targets have been shown to drive comparable cellular processes in Drosophila, C. elegans, zebrafish and mice, and have recently also been implicated in the aetiology and/or progression of a number of human congenital disorders and cancers of epithelial origin. In this review, we will summarise the state of knowledge pertaining to the role of the GRHL family target genes in both development and cancer, primarily through understanding the genetic pathways transcriptionally regulated by these factors across disparate disease contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemma G. Gasperoni
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia; (J.G.G.); (J.N.F.)
| | - Jarrad N. Fuller
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia; (J.G.G.); (J.N.F.)
| | - Charbel Darido
- The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia;
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Tomasz Wilanowski
- Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Sebastian Dworkin
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia; (J.G.G.); (J.N.F.)
- Correspondence:
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5
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Mandal S, Tejaswi T, Janivara R, Srikrishnan S, Thakur P, Sahoo S, Chakraborty P, Sohal SS, Levine H, George JT, Jolly MK. Transcriptomic-Based Quantification of the Epithelial-Hybrid-Mesenchymal Spectrum across Biological Contexts. Biomolecules 2021; 12:29. [PMID: 35053177 PMCID: PMC8773604 DOI: 10.3390/biom12010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) underlies embryonic development, wound healing, and cancer metastasis and fibrosis. Cancer cells exhibiting EMP often have more aggressive behavior, characterized by drug resistance, and tumor-initiating and immuno-evasive traits. Thus, the EMP status of cancer cells can be a critical indicator of patient prognosis. Here, we compare three distinct transcriptomic-based metrics-each derived using a different gene list and algorithm-that quantify the EMP spectrum. Our results for over 80 cancer-related RNA-seq datasets reveal a high degree of concordance among these metrics in quantifying the extent of EMP. Moreover, each metric, despite being trained on cancer expression profiles, recapitulates the expected changes in EMP scores for non-cancer contexts such as lung fibrosis and cellular reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells. Thus, we offer a scoring platform to quantify the extent of EMP in vitro and in vivo for diverse biological applications including cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susmita Mandal
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.M.); (T.T.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Tanishq Tejaswi
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.M.); (T.T.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
- Undergraduate Programme, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Rohini Janivara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA;
| | - Syamanthak Srikrishnan
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India; (S.S.); (P.T.)
| | - Pradipti Thakur
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India; (S.S.); (P.T.)
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.M.); (T.T.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Priyanka Chakraborty
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.M.); (T.T.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Sukhwinder Singh Sohal
- Respiratory Translational Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston 7248, Australia;
| | - Herbert Levine
- Departments of Physics and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jason T. George
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.M.); (T.T.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
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6
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Wang J, Farkas C, Benyoucef A, Carmichael C, Haigh K, Wong N, Huylebroeck D, Stemmler MP, Brabletz S, Brabletz T, Nefzger CM, Goossens S, Berx G, Polo JM, Haigh JJ. Interplay between the EMT transcription factors ZEB1 and ZEB2 regulates hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell differentiation and hematopoietic lineage fidelity. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001394. [PMID: 34550965 PMCID: PMC8489726 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The ZEB2 transcription factor has been demonstrated to play important roles in hematopoiesis and leukemic transformation. ZEB1 is a close family member of ZEB2 but has remained more enigmatic concerning its roles in hematopoiesis. Here, we show using conditional loss-of-function approaches and bone marrow (BM) reconstitution experiments that ZEB1 plays a cell-autonomous role in hematopoietic lineage differentiation, particularly as a positive regulator of monocyte development in addition to its previously reported important role in T-cell differentiation. Analysis of existing single-cell (sc) RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data of early hematopoiesis has revealed distinctive expression differences between Zeb1 and Zeb2 in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) differentiation, with Zeb2 being more highly and broadly expressed than Zeb1 except at a key transition point (short-term HSC [ST-HSC]➔MPP1), whereby Zeb1 appears to be the dominantly expressed family member. Inducible genetic inactivation of both Zeb1 and Zeb2 using a tamoxifen-inducible Cre-mediated approach leads to acute BM failure at this transition point with increased long-term and short-term hematopoietic stem cell numbers and an accompanying decrease in all hematopoietic lineage differentiation. Bioinformatics analysis of RNA-seq data has revealed that ZEB2 acts predominantly as a transcriptional repressor involved in restraining mature hematopoietic lineage gene expression programs from being expressed too early in HSPCs. ZEB1 appears to fine-tune this repressive role during hematopoiesis to ensure hematopoietic lineage fidelity. Analysis of Rosa26 locus–based transgenic models has revealed that Zeb1 as well as Zeb2 cDNA-based overexpression within the hematopoietic system can drive extramedullary hematopoiesis/splenomegaly and enhance monocyte development. Finally, inactivation of Zeb2 alone or Zeb1/2 together was found to enhance survival in secondary MLL-AF9 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) models attesting to the oncogenic role of ZEB1/2 in AML. This study shows that the closely related transcription factors ZEB1 and ZEB2 cooperate to restrain myeloid and lymphoid differentiation programs in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, ensuring fidelity of differentiation in multiple lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jueqiong Wang
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Carlos Farkas
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Aissa Benyoucef
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | | | - Katharina Haigh
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Nick Wong
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Danny Huylebroeck
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marc P. Stemmler
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Centre for Molecular Medicine, FAU University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Simone Brabletz
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Centre for Molecular Medicine, FAU University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Thomas Brabletz
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Centre for Molecular Medicine, FAU University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christian M. Nefzger
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Steven Goossens
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University and University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Geert Berx
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jose M. Polo
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Centre for Molecular Medicine, FAU University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jody J. Haigh
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- * E-mail:
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7
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Li CH, Hsu TI, Chang YC, Chan MH, Lu PJ, Hsiao M. Stationed or Relocating: The Seesawing EMT/MET Determinants from Embryonic Development to Cancer Metastasis. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9091265. [PMID: 34572451 PMCID: PMC8472300 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9091265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial and mesenchymal transition mechanisms continue to occur during the cell cycle and throughout human development from the embryo stage to death. In embryo development, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) can be divided into three essential steps. First, endoderm, mesoderm, and neural crest cells form, then the cells are subdivided, and finally, cardiac valve formation occurs. After the embryonic period, the human body will be subjected to ongoing mechanical stress or injury. The formation of a wound requires EMT to recruit fibroblasts to generate granulation tissues, repair the wound and re-create an intact skin barrier. However, once cells transform into a malignant tumor, the tumor cells acquire the characteristic of immortality. Local cell growth with no growth inhibition creates a solid tumor. If the tumor cannot obtain enough nutrition in situ, the tumor cells will undergo EMT and invade the basal membrane of nearby blood vessels. The tumor cells are transported through the bloodstream to secondary sites and then begin to form colonies and undergo reverse EMT, the so-called "mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET)." This dynamic change involves cell morphology, environmental conditions, and external stimuli. Therefore, in this manuscript, the similarities and differences between EMT and MET will be dissected from embryonic development to the stage of cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Hsiu Li
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan; (C.-H.L.); (T.-I.H.); (M.-H.C.)
| | - Tai-I Hsu
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan; (C.-H.L.); (T.-I.H.); (M.-H.C.)
| | - Yu-Chan Chang
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan;
| | - Ming-Hsien Chan
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan; (C.-H.L.); (T.-I.H.); (M.-H.C.)
| | - Pei-Jung Lu
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan
- Clinical Medicine Research Center, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (P.-J.L.); (M.H.)
| | - Michael Hsiao
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan; (C.-H.L.); (T.-I.H.); (M.-H.C.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (P.-J.L.); (M.H.)
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8
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Deng Z, Cangkrama M, Butt T, Jane SM, Carpinelli MR. Grainyhead-like transcription factors: guardians of the skin barrier. Vet Dermatol 2021; 32:553-e152. [PMID: 33843098 DOI: 10.1111/vde.12956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
There has been selective pressure to maintain a skin barrier since terrestrial animals evolved 360 million years ago. These animals acquired an unique integumentary system with a keratinized, stratified, squamous epithelium surface barrier. The barrier protects against dehydration and entry of microbes and toxins. The skin barrier centres on the stratum corneum layer of the epidermis and consists of cornified envelopes cemented by the intercorneocyte lipid matrix. Multiple components of the barrier undergo cross-linking by transglutaminase (TGM) enzymes, while keratins provide additional mechanical strength. Cellular tight junctions also are crucial for barrier integrity. The grainyhead-like (GRHL) transcription factors regulate the formation and maintenance of the integument in diverse species. GRHL3 is essential for formation of the skin barrier during embryonic development, whereas GRHL1 maintains the skin barrier postnatally. This is achieved by transactivation of Tgm1 and Tgm5, respectively. In addition to its barrier function, GRHL3 plays key roles in wound repair and as an epidermal tumour suppressor. In its former role, GRHL3 activates the planar cell polarity signalling pathway to mediate wound healing by providing directional migration cues. In squamous epithelium, GRHL3 regulates the balance between proliferation and differentiation, and its loss induces squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). In the skin, this is mediated through increased expression of MIR21, which reduces the expression levels of GRHL3 and its direct target, PTEN, leading to activation of the PI3K-AKT signalling pathway. These data position the GRHL family as master regulators of epidermal homeostasis across a vast gulf of evolutionary history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Deng
- Department of Medicine, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael Cangkrama
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tariq Butt
- Department of Medicine, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Stephen M Jane
- Department of Medicine, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Marina R Carpinelli
- Department of Medicine, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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9
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de Vries M, Owens HG, Carpinelli MR, Partridge D, Kersbergen A, Sutherland KD, Auden A, Anderson PJ, Jane SM, Dworkin S. Delineating the roles of Grhl2 in craniofacial development through tissue-specific conditional deletion and epistasis approaches in mouse. Dev Dyn 2021; 250:1191-1209. [PMID: 33638290 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The highly conserved Grainyhead-like (Grhl) family of transcription factors play critical roles in the development of the neural tube and craniofacial skeleton. In particular, deletion of family member Grainyhead-like 2 (Grhl2) leads to mid-gestational embryonic lethality, maxillary clefting, abdominoschisis, and both cranial and caudal neural tube closure defects. These highly pleiotropic and systemic defects suggest that Grhl2 plays numerous critical developmental roles to ensure correct morphogenesis and patterning. RESULTS Here, using four separate Cre-lox conditional deletion models, as well as one genetic epistasis approach (Grhl2+/- ;Edn1+/- double heterozygous mice) we have investigated tissue-specific roles of Grhl2 in embryonic development, with a particular focus on the craniofacial skeleton. We find that loss of Grhl2 in the pharyngeal epithelium (using the ShhCre driver) leads to low-penetrance micrognathia, whereas deletion of Grhl2 within the ectoderm of the pharynx (NestinCre ) leads to small, albeit significant, differences in the proximal-distal elongation of both the maxilla and mandible. Loss of Grhl2 in endoderm (Sox17-2aiCre ) resulted in noticeable lung defects and a single instance of secondary palatal clefting, although formation of other endoderm-derived organs such as the stomach, bladder and intestines was not affected. Lastly, deletion of Grhl2 in cells of the neural crest (Wnt1Cre ) did not lead to any discernible defects in craniofacial development, and similarly, our epistasis approach did not detect any phenotypic consequences of loss of a single allele of both Grhl2 and Edn1. CONCLUSION Taken together, our study identifies a pharyngeal-epithelium intrinsic, non-cell-autonomous role for Grhl2 in the patterning and formation of the craniofacial skeleton, as well as an endoderm-specific role for Grhl2 in the formation and establishment of the mammalian lung.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael de Vries
- Department of Medicine, Monash University Central Clinical School, Prahran, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Harley G Owens
- Department of Medicine, Monash University Central Clinical School, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marina R Carpinelli
- Department of Medicine, Monash University Central Clinical School, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
| | - Darren Partridge
- Department of Medicine, Monash University Central Clinical School, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ariena Kersbergen
- ACRF Stem Cells and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kate D Sutherland
- ACRF Stem Cells and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alana Auden
- Department of Medicine, Monash University Central Clinical School, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter J Anderson
- Australian Craniofacial Unit, Women and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Stephen M Jane
- Department of Medicine, Monash University Central Clinical School, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sebastian Dworkin
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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10
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Yoshioka H, Mikami Y, Ramakrishnan SS, Suzuki A, Iwata J. MicroRNA-124-3p Plays a Crucial Role in Cleft Palate Induced by Retinoic Acid. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:621045. [PMID: 34178974 PMCID: PMC8219963 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.621045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cleft lip with/without cleft palate (CL/P) is one of the most common congenital birth defects, showing the complexity of both genetic and environmental contributions [e.g., maternal exposure to alcohol, cigarette, and retinoic acid (RA)] in humans. Recent studies suggest that epigenetic factors, including microRNAs (miRs), are altered by various environmental factors. In this study, to investigate whether and how miRs are involved in cleft palate (CP) induced by excessive intake of all-trans RA (atRA), we evaluated top 10 candidate miRs, which were selected through our bioinformatic analyses, in mouse embryonic palatal mesenchymal (MEPM) cells as well as in mouse embryos treated with atRA. Among them, overexpression of miR-27a-3p, miR-27b-3p, and miR-124-3p resulted in the significant reduction of cell proliferation in MEPM cells through the downregulation of CP-associated genes. Notably, we found that excessive atRA upregulated the expression of miR-124-3p, but not of miR-27a-3p and miR-27b-3p, in both in vivo and in vitro. Importantly, treatment with a specific inhibitor for miR-124-3p restored decreased cell proliferation through the normalization of target gene expression in atRA-treated MEPM cells and atRA-exposed mouse embryos, resulting in the rescue of CP in mice. Taken together, our results indicate that atRA causes CP through the induction of miR-124-3p in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Yoshioka
- Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Yurie Mikami
- Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sai Shankar Ramakrishnan
- Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Akiko Suzuki
- Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Junichi Iwata
- Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, United States
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11
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Sundararajan V, Pang QY, Choolani M, Huang RYJ. Spotlight on the Granules (Grainyhead-Like Proteins) - From an Evolutionary Conserved Controller of Epithelial Trait to Pioneering the Chromatin Landscape. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:213. [PMID: 32974388 PMCID: PMC7471608 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the transcription factors that are conserved across phylogeny, the grainyhead family holds vital roles in driving the epithelial cell fate. In Drosophila, the function of grainyhead (grh) gene is essential during developmental processes such as epithelial differentiation, tracheal tube formation, maintenance of wing and hair polarity, and epidermal barrier wound repair. Three main mammalian orthologs of grh: Grainyhead-like 1-3 (GRHL1, GRHL2, and GRHL3) are highly conserved in terms of their gene structures and functions. GRHL proteins are essentially associated with the development and maintenance of the epithelial phenotype across diverse physiological conditions such as epidermal differentiation and craniofacial development as well as pathological functions including hearing impairment and neural tube defects. More importantly, through direct chromatin binding and induction of epigenetic alterations, GRHL factors function as potent suppressors of oncogenic cellular dedifferentiation program – epithelial-mesenchymal transition and its associated tumor-promoting phenotypes such as tumor cell migration and invasion. On the contrary, GRHL factors also induce pro-tumorigenic effects such as increased migration and anchorage-independent growth in certain tumor types. Furthermore, investigations focusing on the epithelial-specific activation of grh and GRHL factors have revealed that these factors potentially act as a pioneer factor in establishing a cell-type/cell-state specific accessible chromatin landscape that is exclusive for epithelial gene transcription. In this review, we highlight the essential roles of grh and GRHL factors during embryogenesis and pathogenesis, with a special focus on its emerging pioneering function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vignesh Sundararajan
- Center for Translational Medicine, Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Qing You Pang
- Center for Translational Medicine, Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mahesh Choolani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ruby Yun-Ju Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Oncology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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12
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MicroRNAs and Their Influence on the ZEB Family: Mechanistic Aspects and Therapeutic Applications in Cancer Therapy. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10071040. [PMID: 32664703 PMCID: PMC7407563 DOI: 10.3390/biom10071040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular signaling pathways involved in cancer have been intensively studied due to their crucial role in cancer cell growth and dissemination. Among them, zinc finger E-box binding homeobox-1 (ZEB1) and -2 (ZEB2) are molecules that play vital roles in signaling pathways to ensure the survival of tumor cells, particularly through enhancing cell proliferation, promoting cell migration and invasion, and triggering drug resistance. Importantly, ZEB proteins are regulated by microRNAs (miRs). In this review, we demonstrate the impact that miRs have on cancer therapy, through their targeting of ZEB proteins. MiRs are able to act as onco-suppressor factors and inhibit the malignancy of tumor cells through ZEB1/2 down-regulation. This can lead to an inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) mechanism, therefore reducing metastasis. Additionally, miRs are able to inhibit ZEB1/2-mediated drug resistance and immunosuppression. Additionally, we explore the upstream modulators of miRs such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), as these regulators can influence the inhibitory effect of miRs on ZEB proteins and cancer progression.
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13
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Jia W, Tripathi S, Chakraborty P, Chedere A, Rangarajan A, Levine H, Jolly MK. Epigenetic feedback and stochastic partitioning during cell division can drive resistance to EMT. Oncotarget 2020; 11:2611-2624. [PMID: 32676163 PMCID: PMC7343638 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its reverse process mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) are central to metastatic aggressiveness and therapy resistance in solid tumors. While molecular determinants of both processes have been extensively characterized, the heterogeneity in the response of tumor cells to EMT and MET inducers has come into focus recently, and has been implicated in the failure of anti-cancer therapies. Recent experimental studies have shown that some cells can undergo an irreversible EMT depending on the duration of exposure to EMT-inducing signals. While the irreversibility of MET, or equivalently, resistance to EMT, has not been studied in as much detail, evidence supporting such behavior is slowly emerging. Here, we identify two possible mechanisms that can underlie resistance of cells to undergo EMT: epigenetic feedback in ZEB1/GRHL2 feedback loop and stochastic partitioning of biomolecules during cell division. Identifying the ZEB1/GRHL2 axis as a key determinant of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity across many cancer types, we use mechanistic mathematical models to show how GRHL2 can be involved in both the abovementioned processes, thus driving an irreversible MET. Our study highlights how an isogenic population may contain subpopulation with varying degrees of susceptibility or resistance to EMT, and proposes a next set of questions for detailed experimental studies characterizing the irreversibility of MET/resistance to EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Jia
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shubham Tripathi
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- PhD Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Priyanka Chakraborty
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Adithya Chedere
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Annapoorni Rangarajan
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Herbert Levine
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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